Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan. Sift the flour and cocoa into a mixing bowl; stir in the sugars and baking powder.
2. Mix the vinegar, water and vanilla, then slowly beat into the flour to make a batter - it will be quite runny. Pour into the cake tins and bake for 35 minutes until firm and springy in the centre. Leave to cool in the tins.
3. To make the icing, pour half the coconut cream into a small pan and heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth. Then stir in the remaining coconut cream, divide the mixture between 2 bowls and chill in the fridge. Leave one bowl of mixture in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight to set very firmly. The other bowl of mixture should be removed from the fridge and left at room temperature a couple of hours before using so it can be spread over the cake.
4. To assemble and decorate the cake, peel off the baking paper and spread the cakes thinly with a little jam and then a little of the softer coconut ganache. Layer the cakes on top of each other then spread the remaining ganache over the top and sides of the cake with a palette knife.
5. To make the truffles, use a melon baller or teaspoon to scoop out spoonfuls of the chilled ganache. Drop them in some cocoa powder then roll them into balls. Arrange on top of the cake and decorate with gold leaf.